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16 Nov 2011 01:37

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Politics: USDA’s healthy school lunches turn into starchy, tomato-ey mess

  • Pizza can continue to be the meal of choice: In a bit of a setback for the Obama administration, the USDA’s efforts to push for schools to provide healthier lunches ran into a wall of starchy special interests after members of Congress, in coordination with the food industry, added an unhealthy amendment to a spending bill. The amendment limits how much the government can regulate starchy vegetables like potatoes, as well as tomato paste (the fundamental ingredient of pizza), in school lunches. Why? Congress says it’ll be more expensive, due in part to vegetable prices. If the spending bill passes, we can blame kids’ unhealthy lunches on Congress. We love pizza too, but really now. (photo via USDA’s Flickr page) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Jun 2011 14:33

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U.S.: Are your fruits and veggies laden with tons of pesticides?

  • Remember when that confusing food pyramid went away, and a plate replaced it? That incredibly informative plate tells you that half your diet at least should consist of fruits and veggies — but a new study might make you think otherwise. The Environmental Working Group has compiled a list called the “Dirty Dozen” that includes the twelve fruits and vegetables laden with the most pesticides. While the report suggest eating anything from the “Dirty Dozen” might be harmful, other experts say the pesticide levels on those fruits aren’t dangerous. “So far, there’s not a lot of research to support these claims,” said Holly Herrington, a dietitian at Northwestern University. And we’re pretty sure an apple is healthier than a candy bar any day, too. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 May 2011 14:48

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U.S.: Screw the Food Pyramid; let’s switch to the Food Plate instead!

  • Meet the worst graphic ever created. You may have heard about this thing. It’s called the MyPyramid. There’s some random dude running up it to remind people to exercise, which it’s honestly never done for us. But there aren’t any numbers, no good explanation, and few details to explain what people should eat. It’s one of the greatest travesties the USDA has ever created. It’s as terrible as the 2012 Olympics logo, except worse, because it’s meant actually teach people how to eat healthier; that hasn’t happened. And it might finally get replaced by a completely different shape. Finally. About time. A little history:
  • pyramid In 1992, the USDA introduced the Food Pyramid as a way to explain to people how much food they should be eating. It wasn’t considered a success.
  • pyramid In 2005, USDA officals replaced the pyramid with “MyPyramid,” a vertically-oriented chart derided for being even more confusing than the original version.
  • plate? Perhaps hearing the cries of those who want to see a simpler food graphic, the USDA plans to launch a version of the graphic that revolves around a simple plate. source
  • » Why this is a good idea: Simply put, the basic idea behind this graphic needs to be as simple as possible, and while the original graphic wasn’t terrible, its replacement was. What we’d like to see is a shape that looks like a cafeteria tray, with compartments for each piece. However, the independently-produced Power Plate (which notably doesn’t include meat products at all) is also a worthy option, too. Let’s hope they don’t screw it up.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Feb 2011 13:18

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Politics: Shirley Sherrod makes good on her promise to Andrew Breitbart

  • YES Shirley Sherrod has filed suit against Andrew Breitbart source
  • » Bad day for scurillous-ness: The former USDA official was famously the target of a heavily cut video clip that seemed to present her as a racist who withheld help to a white farmer. The aftermath saw a gross and shocking leap to conclusion by the USDA under Tom Vilsack, which forced her resignation, before some helpful skeptics examined the full video which showed she was making a point AGAINST racism. I’ll admit, this case does have relevant, personal importance for bloggers, as the man charged is in that sense “one of our own,” even ones that wouldn’t be caught dead at a Breitbart event. But notwithstanding, whether the charge of defamation is well-earned or not, some of Mr. Breitbart’s antics have been grossly deceptive and unscrupulous.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Jan 2011 10:42

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Biz: How much meat does Taco Bell have in its “taco meat filling”?

  • 40% the percentage of meat needed in a product to call it “meat taco filling,” according to the USDA
  • 36% the percentage of meat in Taco Bell’s “meat taco filling” (UH-OH); here comes the lawsuit source
  • » The other ingredients: Water, isolated oat product, salt, chili pepper, onion powder, tomato powder, oats (wheat), soy lecithin, sugar, spices, maltodextrin (a polysaccharide that is absorbed as glucose), soybean oil (anti-dusting agent), garlic powder, autolyzed yeast extract, citric acid, caramel color, cocoa powder, silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent), natural flavors, yeast, modified corn starch, natural smoke flavor, salt, sodium phosphate, less than 2% of beef broth, potassium phosphate, and potassium lactate. (thanks rubenfeld)
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Aug 2010 11:14

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Politics: Did Shirley Sherrod take that new job with the USDA, guys?

  • NO next time Andrew Breitbart fakes a story, ignore him source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

22 Aug 2010 11:10

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Politics: Good for her: Shirley Sherrod may get another job with the USDA

  • Now that the hype machine is dead, maybe she can get her old job back. After a solid two weeks in the news cycle (thanks Breitbart!), Shirley Sherrod sounded a little reluctant to do anything with her old employers. But that may change. She reportedly plans to meet with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack about a new job with the USDA. It’d be fascinating to see if, after all that, she actually took the job. Good thing she’s out of the news cycle and can focus on her career again. (Thanks “Ground Zero Mosque”!) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

23 Jul 2010 11:30

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Politics: Shirley Sherrod: Obama’s post-racial attempts got him in trouble

  • I guess because he’s a black president, for some reason, they felt you can’t talk about issues that affect just black people.
  • Shirley Sherrod • Discussing her conversation with Obama yesterday. While he didn’t apologize per ce, the call itself worked as an apology for her. She thinks that he’s making a bad move in trying not to focus on the issues of black people specifically: “I know they probably have to struggle with that. But I think they’re wrong. I think they could do more to advance unity if they could promote a discussion from that level.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Jul 2010 09:49

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Politics: Andrew Breitbart STILL defends his actions in Shirley Sherrod case

  • What this video clearly shows is a standard that the Tea Party has not been held to. The NAACP, it shows the audience there applauding her when she discriminates against a white farmer.
  • Big Government guy Andrew Breitbart • Explaining his reasons for publishing the heavily-edited video of Shirley Sherrod – which he claims are still valid even AFTER they’ve been discredited. Media Matters for America senior fellow Eric Boehlert thinks he knows the real answer. “Andrew had no idea what the context of the comments were, but that didn’t stop him from launching the smear campaign. … If he had any decency he would apologize to Shirley Sherrod. And would stop with the race-baiting that we’ve seen all summer.” he said. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

21 Jul 2010 09:38

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Politics: Twitter also has boatloads to say about Shirley Sherrod’s plight



Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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